Teddy in Time
by maramouse
Summary: When fifteen-year-old Teddy Lupin stumbles upon a new model of a Time Turner, he travels to August of 1997 to meet his parents. But in the past, Teddy finds more questions than answers and begins a desperate quest to reunite the parents he never knew.
1. Prologue

_A/N: I've recently become very interested in Remus/Tonks stories (easily my new favorite HP couple) and the tragedy of how little Teddy never got the chance to know them. Though I think JKR was brilliant in the way she made her story come full circle by introducing another young orphan from the Second Wizarding World, I couldn't help wishing that Teddy had the opportunity to meet his parents._

_There are many brilliant time travel fanfictions (I can recommend a few, if anyone wants), but I was having trouble finding many that completely concentrated on Teddy. While the entire Next Generation getting sucked into the past is certainly amusing (I don't think any of us are able to suppress a grin at the image of young Ron and Hermione discovering that they eventually marry and parent two children), I personally feel that so many Weasley grandchildren running around has the potential to overshadow poor Teddy's situation. After all, at least James II, Albus, Lily II, Rose, Hugo, Fred II, and the rest know their parents in their own time. It's Teddy's role in the time travel stories that I've always found most interesting of all. _

_So, the muses called, and I started getting to work on this. I must admit that it wasn't a completely welcome plot bunny, as I'm also working on another huge (non-HP) project, but when it became clear that Teddy wasn't getting out of my head, I decided to sit down and write it. This prologue is slower than the rest of the story, but I promise that the rest of the story follows characters you know._

_Disclaimer: Anything you recognize here, including Lisa Turpin, Dennis Creevey, Voldemort, and the Department of Mysteries, does not belong to me. I am merely using JKR's playground, and she owns everything._

* * *

><p>Lisa Turpin, a proud Unspeakable who worked in the Time Room, held up the Department of Mystery's newest invention. The hands of the watch glittered in the Time Room's magnificent light.<p>

"How are we going to test this?" Lisa said, always the logical Ravenclaw. "Anything could go wrong. We could end up in a different time with no way of getting back at all."

Her co-worker Edward Thames, who had been a Hufflepuff during his time at Hogwarts, shrugged. "It will be difficult," he admitted, looking at the invention, "but we'll have to try it out. I don't think we have another choice."

Lisa frowned in thought. "I suppose we can always start by going back in a shorter period of time, before increasing to longer distances. At least that way, if we get stuck, we'll at least know the time frame we're dealing with."

"You'll figure it out, Turpin," Edward said. "You always do."

"We need a name for it," Lisa said suddenly, her practical side once again getting the better of her. "I know we aren't planning on releasing it to the public anytime soon, but we'll need a name when we do."

"Well, by all technical purposes, it still is a Time Turner," said Edward, referring to how turning the back dials of the watch was what made the contraption work. "It just isn't an hour glass one, in the same people are used to."

"That's true," Lisa said. "Still, I highly doubt we can just call it a Time Turner. That would just confuse people."

Inspiration seemed to strike Edward, as his hazel eyes lit up. "What if," he said slowly, "we simply called it the Time Turner 2.0?"

"The Time Turner 2.0?" said Lisa. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"It's a muggle thing," Edward explained. Edward was a muggleborn, and he often had to explain his unique way of thinking to his peers. "Rather than getting creative with names, they simply add to the first one: an iPhone 4s or a Macbook Pro. The Web 2.0 is another one." No doubt seeing Lisa's confusion, Edward sighed. "Never mind. The point is, by calling it the Time Turner 2.0, we'll be honouring the old Time Turner as well as this one. We'll be showing consumers that this device is like a Time Turner, but improved upon. We can change the name later, but I thought it would be good for now."

"Well," Lisa said, "I don't have any other ideas."

They stared at the newly dubbed Time Turner 2.0 one last time. It was hard to believe that such a tiny device had so much power.

"Do you think that we're doing the wrong thing by playing around with time?" Lisa asked. Being such a prominent Unspeakable in the Time Room, this wasn't the first time the thought had occurred to her. "Things happen the way they do for a reason. Time is constant; it isn't meant to be changed. We could be in serious trouble if anything went wrong."

Edward shot her a look. "I don't believe what I'm hearing. Lisa Turpin, the Time Room's most respected Unspeakable, doubting her inventions?"

"I'm just saying that one needs to be logical," Lisa retorted. "I'm proud of what I've accomplished, but sometimes, this kind of knowledge does come with a price. You know how difficult it was for poor Dennis when he came here and learned that there was no way his brother could ever come back. Sometimes, I still worry about the boy."

Edward touched Lisa on the shoulder with uncharacteristic gentleness. "That was different, Turpin. Creevey was a mere boy when he came here, looking for answers. If this thing ever gets on the market, we'll be careful about who's allowed to use it. People like Creevey and ex-Death Eaters won't be allowed. "

"That's not just what I mean," Lisa said quietly. "No matter who you are, knowledge of the past can come at a terrible price."

Edward frowned at her, but Lisa was speaking from personal experience. She had had to deal with her own share of burdens from witches and wizards who found out she had been in Harry Potter's year. They'd asked if she'd been part of Dumbledore's Army and had almost seemed to expect that she had fought beside him. As many witches and wizards had commented, "With your brains, you must have."

The truth, however, was that Lisa had been just as ambitious and self-centered as any Slytherin. She hadn't joined the D.A. or fought besides her classmates, because she'd been too afraid of ruining her own dreams of conquering the world. She had been a gifted witch, sorted into Ravenclaw for a reason, and she had been so focused with earning good grades than she hadn't paid proper attention to the way her world crumpled around her.

She regretted it now. Seeing little Dennis Creevey had woken her up to her own selfish nature. Though she'd taken a vow as an Unspeakable to not talk about anything she saw inside the Department of Mysteries, she'd found herself explaining to him just why it was impossible to bring anyone back from the death. To her surprise, however, her boss hadn't fired her for her discrepancy. He'd simply suggested that she not do it again and that the next time someone had similar questions, she refer them to the head of the Death Chamber or himself.

She knew changing the past was illegal. It went against every value she had as an Unspeakable, and she cringed at the possibility of a former Death Eater using one of her Time Turners to bring back You-Know-Who. Still, despite these convictions, she couldn't help thinking of the others who had lost people during the war. It would be nice if her Time Turner could somehow provide someone with the answers she hadn't been able to find.

Lisa shook this thought aside. It was ridiculous. It would be a long, long time before the general public found out about the Time Turner, and even then, strict regulations would be followed to ensure that the Time Turner wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. Aside from very special cases, traveling more than a few hours into time probably wouldn't even be allowed.

Still, as she had hinted to Edward, Lisa already knew all about answers. If she were to travel into the past and look at her Hogwarts self, she would see a selfish girl, so focused on her own needs that she was blind to everything else. Some things were better left in the past. She didn't want anyone else faced with a similar situation.

She tore herself from her own thoughts and looked straight at Edward. "You're right," Lisa said. "I'm just being silly. It was a wonderful invention, and I'm so proud to have contributed to it."

Edward's face broke into a relieved grin. "Now there's the Turpin I know and love. What do you say we leave this for today and come back to it tomorrow?"

Lisa nodded. "Sounds good. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"All right. Just don't take too long. You know what happens when you're sleepy on the job."

Left alone, she gazed again at the tiny device. She could still hardly believe that all of her hard work had pulled off and that she had finally achieved what she'd been working for her entire life.

"You have power, little thing," she said, squeezing the Time Turner in her hand. "I just hope you don't let anyone abuse you."

She placed it back in the display case. Though she knew it was only a trick of the light, the Time Turner 2.0 seemed to glow even brighter than before. The tiny watch-like device was definitely powerful. She only hoped that the next person to use it would be prepared for the consequences.


	2. The Department of Mysteries

_A/N: The first real chapter! Can't say that updates will come as frequently in the future, but I always tend to write faster when I'm starting a story. This story will have multiple PoVs, but Teddy is the protagonist. Also, I should mention that this is as DH compliant as I can make it, so canon pairings will be followed (...though Victoire and Teddy, at thirteen and fifteen respectively, are still only friends). Enjoy! (I must admit, a selfish part of me is hoping for more reviews now that the strange prologue is over and more familiar characters will be stepping into the light...)_

_Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JKR, not me._

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><p>Harry Potter had very few complaints with his life. He had a wonderful job as the Head of the Auror Department. He had the two best friends anyone could ask for, and he felt even more apart of the Weasley family than he had as a boy. Though the fame and name recognition could get frustrating, he did appreciate the financial steadiness that being Harry Potter had brought him.<p>

Most of all, Harry had a wonderful family of his own. He loved Ginny, James, Al, and Lily like nothing else. They were the lights in the dark after a hard day at work and the steady ground beneath his feet whenever being Harry Potter was the most stressful. If anyone had ever told him as a teenager that he would be this happy, he would have scoffed, but there it was. Harry James Potter loved his life.

Still, Harry sometimes felt an ache that he simply couldn't fill. There were times where he looked at James, Albus, and Lily and found himself desperately wishing that their namesakes had gotten the chance to know them. As grateful as he was to the Weasley family, nothing could take away the pain of losing his parents so young.

Luckily, Harry now had an ally that he had not had when he was younger. The ally was was none other than Teddy Lupin, Remus and Tonks's orphaned son. Being the godfather to a fellow orphan put things into perspective for him. Whenever he found himself most missing his own parents, he would transfer these feelings by reaching out to Teddy. It always made him feel better to know that Teddy would know more about his parents than Harry had.

Harry adored his godson. Though the last thing he wanted was to replace his former mentor as Teddy's father, Harry considered Teddy his first child. It didn't matter that Teddy didn't permanently live with him or that Harry now had three children of his own. He loved Teddy just as much as he loved his own sons.

On this particular day, Harry had gone to Andromeda's to pick Teddy up for dinner. It was shortly after Hogwarts had gotten out for the summer, and though Teddy had had dinner with the Potters' earlier that week, Harry had yet to catch up with his godson alone. As he glanced around the sitting room, it seemed impossible to believe that he had once rested on the very same couch after the Battle of the Seven Potters.

Andromeda greeted him warmly with no trace of the haughtiness he had experienced upon their first meeting, after he'd spotted the similarities between her and her late sister. "Harry," she said, hugging him. "It's good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Andromeda," Harry said. After spending so much time with Teddy, he had come to think of Andromeda as a surrogate grandmother of sorts. "Is Teddy ready?"

Andromeda's face darkened. "Yes, about that. I think it's fair to warn you that Teddy's been a little distant ever since he returned home. "

Harry was unsurprised by this news. He had thought that Teddy's letters had been vaguer than normal. Though he'd been fine with the kids during their dinner together, he had also avoided answering Harry's and Ginny's questions with much detail.

"Yes, I thought something was bothering him," Harry said. "Do you know what might be wrong?"

Andromeda sighed. "I'm afraid I don't know. I've tried to coax him out, but he's been shutting himself out in his room, reading Merlin knows what. He hasn't written much to his friends, either."

"I'll see if I can talk to him," Harry said. "I wouldn't worry, though. I remember how I was the summer between my fourth and fifth years of Hogwarts. Fifteen was a hard year for sure."

"Well, it certainly would be less hard if he opened up more," Andromeda said. "From the little I knew of Remus, he also seemed to shut down whenever something was bothering him. Teddy must have inherited it from him, because Nymphadora never-"

She stopped abruptly as the staircase creaked, and the boy-in-question emerged from upstairs. Harry was surprised by his appearance. Teddy was a dressed in ripped jeans and a drab grey t-shirt, and his hair was his natural sandy color instead of his typical turquoise. Teddy was more conservative than his mother about his appearance, but Harry couldn't remember the last time he had seen Teddy without morphed hair.

"Hey there, Ted," Harry said, trying not to let his concern show. "Are you ready?"

Teddy shrugged. "I guess."

"I was thinking we could try a new place that's opened up in Diagon Alley," Harry said. "Then we can shop around at Flourish and Blotts or Quality Quidditch Supplies and maybe finish off with an ice-cream."

"That sounds fine."

Ted moved to the fireplace, already eager to floo, but Andromeda stopped him by putting her hands on his shoulders. "Now you be good to your Uncle Harry, you hear?" she said sternly. "I know how much he likes to spoil you, but I won't be pleased if I find out he's done something foolish, like bought you too many books or a new broom."

Teddy rolled his eyes. "I know, Gran. I know. Now geroff."

He turned to Harry. "Can I just floo to the Leaky Cauldron and then we'll walk to wherever we're going?"

"That sounds fine," said Harry. "But listen, Teddy-"

Teddy turned around and scowled at him. Harry was startled by the intensity of his godson's gaze. "What is it now?"

"Nothing," said Harry, exchanging a quick look with Andromeda. "We'll talk later."

* * *

><p>Albus in the Alley, or simply "Albus's," was a small restaurant, designed to honour the legendary Hogwarts headmaster. The walls of the restaurant were a bright purple, and the matching curtains seemed to resemble Dumbledore's robes. Harry chuckled when he looked at the menu and saw the sherbet lemon special offered for dessert. "I should take Al here," he said. "He'd get a kick out of learning more about his namesake."<p>

He didn't miss the shadow that passed over Teddy's face.

Over dinner of butterbeer and fish and chips (the latter was apparently Dumbledore's favorite muggle dish), Harry attempted to engage Teddy in conversation. He asked about his friends and how Gryffindor had done in Quidditch that season (Teddy did not play Quidditch himself, although he was a decent flyer). Teddy responded in non-committed grunts, answering but rarely elaborating.

It was after he noticed the way Teddy had begun move his food around his plate that Harry decided to confront his godson. "Ted, I don't mean to pry, but is something wrong? You've been very quiet lately."

"I'm fine," Teddy muttered, avoiding his gaze.

Harry sighed. "Teddy, listen. Believe it or not, I was once fifteen too, and I can remember all too well how a difficult a year it was. I had just watched Voldemort return and Cedric die, and I didn't feel that anyone understood what I had been through. But what I learned was, I needed to give people a chance. I couldn't take out my anger at people who were only trying to help. As a matter of fact, that's part of what made me notice your aunt Ginny; she wasn't willing to take my crap."

When he looked up, Teddy's grey eyes were surprisingly fiery. "And I suppose, because that's how it was for you, it's the same for me, right? Because I'm exactly the same thing as you were at fifteen, what with us both being orphans and the like."

"Teddy-" Harry started.

"Look, Uncle Harry, I don't want to hear about what you were like at fifteen!" Teddy said. His hair had gone fiery red as it always did when he was unable to control his anger. "I know perfectly well how much your life sucked when you were my age. But the thing is, I'm really not in the mood to hear about it right now! Save it for your own kids when they're older. I'm sure they'll be able to relate to you a lot more than I can."

"Teddy, that's enough!" Harry said, feeling the various stares from people around them. "Look, I'm sorry you don't feel like I understand you, but yelling at me in a public place isn't going to accomplish anything. You're just as important to me as James and Al and Lily, you hear? You not being my son by blood doesn't change that."

Teddy suppressed an eye role. "Sure, Uncle Harry. And Greyback didn't bite my father."

"Look, Teddy, I was trying to do something nice for you by taking you out," Harry retorted. "I've missed you a lot during this year. If you aren't willing to see how much I love you, then that's your problem, not mine. There's nothing else I can do for you."

A wispy, silver Jack Russell Terrier appeared, interrupting this thought. The small dog ran up to Harry. When it opened up its mouth, it spoke in Ron Weasley's voice. "Harry, you need to come over. The Department of Mysteries has been broken into. We need you for an investigation."

"Well, that's it, isn't it?" Teddy said, as the patronus disappeared. "Harry Potter has more important things to do than being my godfather."

Anger swarmed in Harry's chest. He had been planning to tell Teddy to go along home, but the bite of his words stopped him. "Actually, at the moment, I don't," he said. "I'll put a few galleons on the table. You're coming with me."

Teddy frowned. "But-"

"Yes, I know you're quite capable of taking floo back home by yourself, but I'll not have you going home in this state," Harry said. "You've wallowed enough for the time being. You're coming with me. You need to get out of your own angst and see the kind of things your parents had to deal with firsthand."

"But this is an emergency," Teddy said, confused. "I can't just come with you to investigate something. It's not allowed."

"Unfortunately for you, I'm Harry bloody Potter, and the head of the Auror Department. I can take you if I want to," Harry said tiredly, in no mood to deal with teenage angst on top of the news he had just heard. "You've thought about being an auror before; now's the chance to see an investigation first hand. Now, come on. I'll side-apparate you there."

* * *

><p>When they arrived outside of the Department of Mysteries, they found Ron Weasley and Minister Shacklebolt already there. Both look exhausted. "Harry, thank Merlin you got here," Ron said. "I was worried you wouldn't get my message in time."<p>

"No, I was in the middle of dinner with Ted when I got it," Harry said. "Any idea of who they were or how they got in?"

Ron shrugged. "No clue. Apparently, the people involved knocked out a few Unspeakables, stole their wands, and used Polyjuice to disguise themselves as them. We're thinking the main instigator might have been that rogue who thinks he's You-Know-Who incarnated or whatever. The Unspeakables supposedly didn't notice anything missing, but we're going to investigate just in case."

"Sounds good," Harry said. "Speaking of which, do you mind if Teddy's here? I didn't feel comfortable sending him home by himself. He's also very skilled in noticing anything that seems amiss, so I thought he could help."

Ron shrugged. "Minister?"

"I normally wouldn't feel comfortable with any Hogwarts student coming here, but under the circumstances, I suppose he can stay," Kingsley said. "Besides, I've seen what you two and your friends got up to; even with his parents being who they are, there's no way he'll get into as much trouble as you two did. Just make sure he knows what he's getting into."

Teddy recoiled. He hated it whenever people made flip comments about the parents he had never known.

"Right," said Harry. He turned to his godson. "Teddy, this is a real exception the Minister is making for you, and you don't want to screw it up. You definitely have the right eyes for the hunt, but I want you to be very careful. The normal protection spells will have been lifted so that we can investigate, but no touching if you can help it, okay? And absolutely _no _mentioning to anyone what you see here. I'm dead serious about that one, Ted. The Unspeakables are very private, and there's no knowing what they would do if they knew a mere schoolboy had been examining their things."

"I got it," Teddy said. "No touching and absolutely no telling anyone what I see in here. I'll let you know if I notice anything."

"Good," Harry said. "I trust you, Teddy. Please don't mess this up."

Without another word, Harry opened the black door.

Teddy had never been in a place quite like the Department of Mysteries before. He walked through the dark corridors, fascinated by the strange rooms and objects surrounding him.

Harry had not been lying about Teddy's ability to spot missing things. As a child, he had been a whiz at detecting the differences between two pictures in a muggle game Harry had shared with him. Sometimes, Harry would even test him by changing something in Potter Manor-moving a piece or furniture or transfiguring the color of a rug-and seeing if Teddy would notice. He almost always did.

Though he had not been to the Department of Mysteries before and thus could not properly judge, it didn't appear the intruders had stolen anything. Aside from a few dirty tiles, nothing was broken or disorganized in the least.

His wanderings let him to a long, rectangular room filled with beautiful, dancing light. Clocks of every kind surrounded him. Teddy's attention, however, was drawn to a glass display case with watches in them. The display case was labeled, "The Time Turner 2.0."

Teddy had heard about Time Turners. As a young boy, he had asked Harry if time travel was possible, and his godfather had explained about the Time Turners being destroyed at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Still, these looked nothing like the Time Turners Harry had described. Though at first glance the watches looked ordinary, upon closer examination, Teddy noticed that next to the "15" of the clock was the current year and date. He wondered if setting the clock to another date was what made the time travel possible.

Harry's and Ron's voices floated in the room. "Weird being back here again," Ron said. "I'm still half-worried that I'll have another run in with a brain."

"I know what you mean," Harry said. "I'm just hoping not to find another prophecy with my name on it."

"Bit odd of you to take Teddy, though?" Ron said, and Teddy's heart quickened at the mention of his own name. "I love the kid, don't get me wrong, but he's certainly old enough to floo himself home."

"If you must know, Teddy and I had a bit of disagreement," Harry said. "Suffice to say, he's more like me at fifteen than I'd like. I thought getting a taste of life outside his own angst might be good for him."

"That wasn't a bad idea," Ron said. "Believe me, I'm dreading when Rosie and Hugo become teenagers and start acting like they know everything…though with the way Rosie resembles her mother, she probably really _will _know everything. Still, it's a bit funny to have Teddy here, especially given the way his parents came to help save us. Mum and Dad reckon that their shifts helping guard this part was part of what brought Remus and Tonks together. In some ways, Teddy owes his life to this place."

"Speak a little softer," Harry said. "Like I said, Teddy's been in a touchy place lately. He doesn't seem to have made the connection that his parents were once here yet, and I don't think it'd be good to remind him."

Ron's response was too soft for Teddy to hear.

Teddy forced his heart rate to return to normal. Indeed, he had not thought about how his own parents had fought here. He closed his eyes, trying to picture replicas of the photos he had seen, standing outside of the Department of Mysteries. Harry was right. He really didn't want to think about that right now.

He glanced at the Time Turner collection again. The watches glittered and glowed, all looking so tempting. He knew he had promised Harry not to touch anything and that using an object before it was released to the general public was dangerous to tamper around with, but he could not help himself. The thought of seeing his parents, even just one time, was just too tempting.

He made the decision in a split second. He lifted open the glass case and put his hand around the first Time Turner he saw. Then, he fasted the watch around his ankle, pulled down his jeans to hide it, and realigned the Time Turner display so nothing looked amiss. The lack of protective charms because of the investigation had ensured that he was able to steal the watch without being detected.

Harry entered the room a few minutes later. Despite their previous argument, he smiled when he saw Teddy. "It's interesting here, isn't it? Have you noticed anything out-of-place?"

Teddy shrugged, trying to look as composed as possible. "Not really. This is an interesting collection of Time Turners, though. Do you think it's possible whoever broke in here wanted to find one? If he's a Voldemort wannabe like Uncle Ron said, then he'd definitely have a lot to gain from going back in time."

"You know, I think you might have a good point," Harry said, turning to examine the Time Turners. Teddy held his breath, but when Harry turned back to him, he was still smiling. "I had no idea anyone was trying to improve the last Time Turner, but if any dark wizard were to hear of it, it would be too tempting to resist, especially as this Time Turner appears to be able to go much farther back in the past. Let me look in the Hall of Prophecies, and then I'll tell Kingsley your thoughts. If you have a lead, we'll look into it later."

Before going to the Hall of Prophecies, he paused to look at his godson. "Teddy, I know you're still angry at me, but I just wanted to say good work. I think you have a really good theory of the suspect's motives, and I'm proud of you. It takes strength to put aside your own feelings like you just did."

Teddy tried to ignore the coldness of the Time Turner against his ankle. "No problem, Uncle Harry. Anytime at all."

* * *

><p>It turned out that there was nothing amiss in the Hall of Prophecies. Ron and Kingsley had not been successful in finding anything else, either. Both seemed impressed by Teddy's speculation, however, and Kingsley even slapped Teddy across the back. "Your parents would be proud of you," he said. For the first time, this comment didn't make Teddy sad. Instead, he felt invigorated, as he imagined meeting his parents for himself.<p>

By the time they returned home, it was quite dark, and Teddy's grandmother was already asleep. "Teddy, I'm sorry," Harry said, lowering his voice so Andromeda could not hear. "I know it's been a hard time for you, but I'm glad we were able to spend some tight together, even if it wasn't in the capacity I might have liked. I know I'm not the person you want to talk to right now, but I am here whenever you need me."

"It's okay," Teddy muttered. A new question arose, and he could not stop himself from asking. "Uncle Harry? If you had one of those new Time Turners, what would you do with it?"

A crooked smile appeared on Harry's face. "I guess I'd see my parents again. Either that or try my best to save some of the people who sacrificed their lives for me. But that's never going to happen. Messing with time can have disastrous consequences. It was more luck than skill that we were able to save Sirius the way we did, and even without the possibility of running into our past selves, going much farther back would be much more dangerous. Besides, I think the past should be left as it is. As much as I'd love to see my parents, I'm not sure I'd risk going to a time with Voldemort still alive."

Teddy considered Harry's words in his bedroom later that night. His godfather had a point: messing with time _was _very dangerous. Still, Harry's situation was entirely different from his own. Harry would be in severe dangerous by going back to a time where Voldemort existed, especially since, unlike Teddy, he had no easy way to alter his appearance. Besides, he had already met his parents as a result of Priori Incantatem and the Resurrection Stone. He had had more direct contact with his parents than Teddy had had.

Teddy took off the Time Turner and held it in his hand. He was going to meet his parents. It would be dangerous, yes, but he was going to do it. Then he would at least understand what everyone was talking about.


	3. Preparations

_A/N: I ran into some issues regarding what date, exactly, I should have Teddy travel to. Writing the exact date in a HP story is always difficult, and though the Lexicon has a very useful timeline, I was still unsure of when exactly Ted Tonks went on the run. While this becomes more evident in the next few chapters, we're going to say that the Tonks family redid their protective charms after the Death Eaters broke in, keeping them safe for a while and Ted at home long enough for future Teddy to meet him. More about that later._

_This is a bit of a filler chapter, but I promise to update soon...Teddy meets Tonks next, so look forward to that! :) _

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><p>Harry was not the only person confused by Teddy's sudden change of mood. Truth be told, Teddy didn't understand his own change, either. He'd left on the Hogwarts Express the same happy boy he'd always been and had returned with a temper fiercer then a Hungarian Horntail in heat.<p>

Fourth year had not been an easy one. Academically, it had been his most difficult year yet. The teachers had never missed a chance to remind them of their O.W.L.s next year, and as he struggled with his Potions grade, Teddy began to face the very real possibility that he might not qualify for the N.E.W.T.s classes required for an auror. Never mind the fact that the minister was as good as his uncle and his godfather was the head of the entire auror department. Teddy wanted to be an auror on his own merit.

His relationships with his peers had changed, too. Teddy's best friend, Ellis Green, had begun dating a Ravenclaw in their year, and he had less time for Teddy. Even Victoire had begun acting strangely. Her second year friends had begun giggling whenever he entered the room, and Vic had become surly around him, as though he was egging them on. He had never understood Victoire before, but he understood her even less now.

He'd spent most of his free time in a spare classroom, attempting to teach himself the Patronus charm. Teddy knew the story of how his own dad had taught Harry the charm, and he couldn't wait to see Harry's face when he saw a silvery wolf appearing out of Teddy's wand. Still, finding good memories had been more difficult than he'd anticipated. He had many good memories from childhood, but the fact that it was Harry and Andromeda who were featured, instead of his parents, significantly dampened them. Finally, he gave up. He was not as good of a wizard as Harry, and he never would be.

He found himself wishing that he could pause the world and return to the simplicity of being seven or eight. Everything was changing, when he wanted nothing more for things to stay the same.

Now, Teddy examined the Time Turner by the morning light. It very much resembled an ordinary watch, except tiny boxes, right next to the "15" of the watch, where one was to set the date they wanted to travel to and the dials on the back that controlled them. There were eight tiny boxes: two for the month, two for the day, and four for the year.

He wasn't stupid. He knew that stealing the Time Turner had been an uncharacteristically reckless move, especially as he had no idea whether it would even work. Sooner or later, the Unspeakables would notice the Time Turner was missing, but he didn't plan to be around when they did. No, instead he would be in another time entirely, finally meeting the people he had heard so much about.

His grandmother knocked at his door, and Teddy responded by setting the watch under his pillow. "Teddy?" she called. "I'm going over to Cissy's now. Is there anything I can get you?"

"I'm fine, Gran," Teddy said. "Don't worry about me."

She opened the door, anyway, and surveyed him with her brown eyes. "You sure?" she said. "I can make you some breakfast if you like."

Teddy forced himself to look as normal as possible. "I'm fine. I'll just grab a biscuit later."

She sat on the foot of his bed. He was startled when she reached out and smoothed back his hair, in a familiar gesture she had not done since he was a little boy. "Did you have fun with your godfather last night?"

Teddy shrugged. "It was okay. He took me to investigate the Department of Mysteries after a break-in, so that was interesting."

Andromeda nodded. "Yes, he left me a note to tell me about that. It sounds like quite an adventure."

Teddy swallowed. "It was."

She continued to scrutinize him. Teddy found himself surveying her too, taking in her strong jaw, round face, thin lips, and the other traits that made up his gran.

"Teddy," she said, a bit abruptly, "I'm sorry for our disagreement. I know that being fifteen isn't easy, and as hard as Harry and I try, I know we can hardly take the place of your parents. I sometimes fear we haven't come close."

"It's okay, Gran," Teddy said, surprised to hear this. "You and Uncle Harry have been great. I wouldn't want anyone else."

She cupped his chin. "It's sweet of you to say that. All the same, the truth of the matter is that we aren't your parents, and we never can be. I hope you know that I wish they were here, too."

Andromeda glanced at the framed picture on Teddy's nightstand, which had been taken when Teddy was only a few days old. His mother, her hair pink and spiky, was holding him, and his father was grinning, looking so happy and alit with life despite the many age lines and scars on his face. Little Teddy was morphing his hair so that it went from turquoise to his mother's shade of pink.

"I remember how your hair always used to turn pink whenever she held you," Andromeda said. "You had different colours for different people. Nymphadora was the same way, too. She used to turn her hair purple whenever she saw me and blue for your granddad."

"What colour did my hair turn whenever I saw Dad?" Teddy asked.

"Green. It was always black whenever you saw Harry. I think you were trying to morph yourself to look like him."

Teddy took this in. He understood Andromeda had had her issues with his father, but he still didn't appreciate how she always turned the subject away from him.

She kissed him on the forehead. "Promise you'll be all right, you hear? I don't want to hear that that you've been moping. I know those books of yours are interesting, but you'll need some fresh air."

"All right, Gran," Teddy said. "Have fun with Aunt Cissy."

She blew him a final kiss. Then, she closed the door.

* * *

><p>Teddy hadn't truly realized what being an orphan meant until he left for Hogwarts. Oh, he had heard about his parents before, of course. Everyone had always told him all about his parents, and he had several photo albums full of pictures of them.<p>

Before he had turned eleven, though, being an orphan hadn't meant anything. He had so many parental figures in his life. True, he had realized that his situation was atypical-most boys didn't have three younger siblings, who weren't related to them by blood-but he also didn't think much of it. He did have a family. It was just a unique one.

That all changed when had he boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time. Suddenly, everyone was abuzz with questions: "Were your parents muggles or wizards?" "How can you change your hair like that?" and "What's it like having Harry Potter as your godfather?"

Worst of all was when they had asked Teddy about his parents. Apparently, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks were featured in several books on the Second Wizarding War. He didn't mind verifying that his parents had fought in the war, but he did mind when people asked him what it was like to be an orphan. He didn't _know_ what it was like to be an orphan. Aside from a few short weeks that he could not remember, he had never been anything else.

As each year of Hogwarts passed, he became more and more resentful of his situation. He loved Hogwarts, but it was hard learning at the same place his parents had been taught. He hated looking out at the Whomping Willow and knowing it had been planted for his dad.

By the time his fifteen birthday arrived, Teddy resented his situation more than he ever had before. He spent hours studying the card the Potters had sent him, observing how carefree the children seemed in their messages. Harry's and Ginny's messages, though heartfelt, bothered him, too. For once, he didn't want a card signed, _Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry. _No, he wanted a card signed, _Mum and Dad._

For the most part, Teddy was much more well-behaved than his parents had been. He had used the Marauder's Map to sneak out of bed a few times, but aside from visiting the Room of Requirement, he didn't have anywhere to go. He was grateful to live in a safer world than his parents had, but the Gryffindor side of him longed for adventure.

Going back and time and visiting his parents would be an adventure. It probably wouldn't be the safest adventure to start with, but it was the only risk Teddy had ever wanted to take.

* * *

><p>Teddy took advantage of his grandmother's absence by setting his trip in motion. He packed spare clothes and a photo album in a muggle backpack and put his wand in the pocket of his jeans. Though he wasn't sure whether the Ministry of a different time period would be able to detect the Trace on him, he did know that where he was going, there was a good chance he would need to use underage magic to defend himself.<p>

He took a good few moments to say goodbye to his room. Tacked up on the blue walls were pictures of him with various people: him and Uncle Harry, him and his grandmother, him and the entire Weasley family, him with just the Potters, and him with Victoire and Ellis at Hogwarts. He was smiling in all of them.

He would see his room again, he knew. If the Time Turner worked the way he thought it would, he would have the opportunity to see what the room was like sixteen years ago, back when it had been a library and not any sort of bedroom at all. Still, he knew he would miss his bedroom as it was now. The familiarity gave him a sort of comfort that his room in a different form would not be able to.

Shaking this thought aside, he left a letter for his gran on his bed. He would have his parents back in that time, and that would be comfort enough.

Teddy had decided on going back in time to August twentieth of 1997. He had picked the date for a variety of reasons. For one thing, he wanted to go back to a time his parents were together, and since he didn't want to inadvertently screw up his own birth, he decided it would be better if his mother were already pregnant with him. Also, he had heard something about his grandfather not going on the run immediately, and he wanted to meet his namesake, too. Otherwise, the date was random or as random as it could be in such a situation.

While Teddy still did not know exactly where the Time Turner would transport him, he had guessed that he would end up in the same place he had started. It was for that reason that he decided to transport himself in his backyard. Randomly appearing inside the house would give them everyone a right scare, after all, and though he was not completely sure whether his parents would be there, he figured his grandparents could give him a lead.

Outside, his transfigured himself to disguise his true appearance. He chose black hair, a shade lighter than Harry's, and blue eyes, like his friend Ellis's. He also increased the size of his nose and transfigured his face's shape so it was no longer heart-shaped like his mum's. Though he did plan to reveal his true identity eventually, he didn't want to scare his parents by coming clean too early on.

He took a deep breath and clutched the Time Turner tight. Everything was in order. It was time now, and Teddy had never been as frightened or as exhilarated in his entire life.

His hands shaking, he moved the dials of the clock to read _25/08/1997_.


	4. The First Meeting

_A/N: I meant to get this up sooner, but after rereading a few passages of DH, I realized my descriptions of the Tonks' backyard were completely wrong. When I started editing that part, I realized there were a few other things that didn't make sense about that chapter, either, so I spent a while changing it. On the upside, this is nearly 1,000 words longer than the previous versions!_

_I've tried my best, but apologies if this isn't completely DH-compliant. It's very difficult to write about people other than Harry & co. during the war while still making it true to what was happening at the time. As always, please let me know of any typos (I do reread my work, but I can't catch all of them) or whether I've missed any facts that should make this more compliant with DH. And while I try my best to write in a British style (complete with words like "colour" and "centre," as I find it a fun challenge), I'm American, so let me know if anything reeks of the States._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter about Teddy and his mother meeting for the first time! xxx_

* * *

><p>Pregnancy and Nymphadora Lupin, née Tonks, were not best friends. Actually, it was fair to say that they were more like enemies.<p>

First off, there was the bloody morning sickness. About eight weeks along, she had recently begun waking up with the urge to empty everything from her stomach, even if she had barely eaten anything at all. Strong fumes especially made her nauseous, and she often had to hide in her old bedroom to escape the scents from her mother's breakfasts.

Then there were the mood swings. Tonks had always had the strong urge to hex anyone who called her Nymphadora, but she had usually made an exception for her own mother. Now, if her mother so much as started to call her that, she would yell at her. This would usually launch a whole different discussion about how "Tonks" wasn't even her surname anymore, though she wasn't even living like a married woman at the present.

Tonks was bloody sick of her mother reminding her that Remus was gone. She _knew _he was gone. She thought of him every time the baby made her sick or when her morphing, yet another strange side effect of her pregnancy, spun out of control, and her hair changed colors at random intervals (had he not abandoned her, she rather thought he would have been amused by this side effect). She didn't need her mother constantly reminding her that she had been against her marriage from the start. She already knew it, dammit!

She was pregnant in the middle of a bloody war with no husband to help her. The last thing Tonks needed was her mother to make things worse.

Now, she stomped outside for fresh air. A conversation that had started with, "Do you want a biscuit, Nymphadora?" had ended with, "It isn't my fault Remus left you!", and she was in no mood to spend any more time with her mother.

The Tonks' House was located in a small town outside of London. Like the Burrow, it was unknown by muggles, though the recent Disillusionment and Fidelius charms had made it and its inhabitants completely invisible. They had also redone the protective charms covering it, though they could not be sure that the Death Eaters would not force their ways in again. Andromeda had spent hours pruning the plants in the garden, but she had never been able to make their small pond any less muddy.

Tonks plopped down next to the pond. The pond had always been her favourite place from her childhood. She had often thought that she and the pond had much in common: they had never been fixed by Andromeda's various attempts to clean them up, no matter how hard she had tried. While Tonks knew she was being unfair, especially since her mother's marriage to a muggle-born had been far more scandalous than her own marriage to a werewolf, a part of her felt that getting pregnant with Remus's child had cemented her as a disappointment in her mother's eyes.

She hated it here. Her own flat had been littered with dirty dishes and clothes on the floor, and she missed it terribly. Though she and Remus had only lived there together for a short while, she could clearly visualize him sitting at the table, rolling his eyes at her cleaning habits.

She didn't want to raise her child in a house run by a woman even more focused on cleaning than Molly Weasley. She wanted him or her to grow up in a looser home, where he or she didn't have to always make his bed. She had once thought that Remus would be the parent to make their child clean his room, but she didn't anymore. It hurt too much to think about the possibility of him coming back.

She was startled from her thoughts by the distinct feeling she was not alone. There, standing among the pruned trees, was a boy, who had seemingly appeared from midair. Her first thought was apparation, but he looked a good few years too young for apparating age. He had blue eyes and dark hair that framed his thin face.

The most remarkable thing about the boy, however, was not the fact that he had appeared from nowhere, without as much as a decisive pop. The most remarkable thing about the boy was that he had somehow managed to get by the protective charms and was looking _straight at her_, when every other person who had walked by since the disillusionment charms would have ignored her.

He raised his hand and then smiled in a crooked, strangely Remus-like grin.

"Wotcher," he said.

* * *

><p>He should have, Teddy reflected a few minutes later, picked a word other than "Wotcher."<p>

Still, he had had his reasons. As soon as he had set eyes on Nymphadora Lupin, a mere few seconds after arriving in 1997, common sense had flown out of his head. All he had registered was his mother, looking straight out of the pictures, if a little paler, with her heart shaped face, short bubblegum pink hair, and fierce dark eyes.

This was all so outstanding that he had to restate the fact in his mind. He was standing not five feet away from his mother, whom he had never seen in person, in a time that was not his own. _His mother, who had died when he was less than a month old. _

Under the circumstances, it was not surprising that he had accidentally uttered his mother's favourite phrase.

Now, he put his hands in the air like someone in a muggle film, as Nymphadora Lupin pointed her wand at him. She was shooting him a glare, looking every bit the intimidating auror, despite the fact that he was a good few inches taller than her. This was strange in itself. Though Teddy had always heard his mother was on the smaller end, it was still disconcerting to stand at least five inches above her. Most boys at least had the advantage of gradually surpassing their mother in height, not standing taller on what was, for all intensive purposes, the first day they met (for Teddy's mother, their actual first day, and for Teddy, the first day he actually remembered).

That, however, was irrelevant at the moment. The legendary auror was pointing her wand at him, and though decent in defense for his age, Teddy was still no match for a trained auror.

"Tell me," she said, her eyes flashing dangerously, "what the _hell_ did you do to Kingsley, to make him cave?"

"I didn't do anything!" Teddy said. She continued to glare at him.

"I suppose you're here to capture my father, are you? Or perhaps a Death Eater, like my dear aunt. You should know that I'm a trained auror, so I'm more than a match for a boy like you."

"I'm not!" Teddy said. "I mean, I'm only fifteen; I'm not old enough to work at the Ministry. I-I don't know what you're talking about with that, err, Kingsley guy. Actually, I'm muggle-born, so I wouldn't want to work for the ministry anyway." He stated the lie he had rehearsed. "My parents were killed by Death Eaters a few days ago, and I've been on the run ever since. Since I'm muggle-born, so I don't want to risk going to Hogwarts, not that term has started yet, anyway."

"Be as that may be," Tonks said, her wand wavering, "how do you see me? I've done strict spells to make sure a thing like this wouldn't happen. Besides, if you truly aren't a Death Eater, there's no way you could have forced yourself past the protective charms. We cast it so that no one besides select friends would be able to escape them."

"I don't know," Teddy said; he had forgotten to account for these spells in his travels. "I can just see everything here, as clear as day. Maybe there's some sort of loophole with the spell you were using. Are you sure it worked?"

"I thought it did, although it might be time for another check," Tonks said. "I trust Kingsley with my life, but perhaps I ought to check with him just in chase. But never mind that. You still haven't answered the most important question of all. How the hell did you manage to appear here out of thin air, when you're clearly too young to apparate?"

Teddy took a breath to calm his hammering heart and hoped desperately that she would buy his explanation.

"I don't know how I did it, not completely. I was at a muggle market near my house because I had run out of food, when I saw the same Death Eaters who killed my parents coming in. I hid behind a barrel of apples, and they didn't see me, I don't think, but I knew it was only a matter of time before they did. It was then that I wished more than anything that I could go someplace safe. All of a sudden, I felt like I was being squeezed, and the next thing I knew, I was here." He gave an impression of a forced smile. "Since you're an auror, I guess maybe my magic knew you'd be someplace safe."

His mother's eyes were still narrowed. She shook her head and continued pointing her wand at him.

"I've never heard of such a thing happening before. And Death Eaters in a muggle market? I'm afraid I still don't trust you, kid. This is all a bit difficult to believe."

"It's the truth, I swear it," Teddy said. "You see, the, well, Death Eaters killed my parents before I knew what was going on, and I was able to hide from them so that they didn't find me. Only, they were really upset that they hadn't succeeded in getting me, so I think they went to the market to try to find me." He scrunched up his face in an imitation of fear. As a metamorphmagus, acting had always come easily to him. He'd practiced imitations from an early age in order to supplement his morphing. Andromeda hadn't been too pleased when he'd once come out of his room in a perfect imitation of her, complete with the looks and mannerisms. James, Al, and Lily, at least, thought his impressions were hysterical.

"I'm really sorry for intruding," he added, this time not entirely dishonestly. "I understand why you're so confused, especially when I've never heard of such a thing happening myself. But I really need a place to stay, and I dunno where else to go. I'm afraid that the Death Eaters will find me if I go back."

He put on an expression of fear. He was relieved when his mother's face softened, and she finally put down her wand.

"What's your name?" she asked.

This, at least, was a lie he had rehearsed. "Theo Abbot."

She frowned. "I don't recognize your name from the newspaper of the muggle-borns who didn't appear for questioning, and if you had been questioned, I doubt you'd be standing here before me."

"I-I never got any notification," Teddy said, taking an extra pause to think of a good lie. He tried to remember everything Harry had told him about the Umbridge and the Muggle-born Registration Commission. His godfather had always been honest with him about his adventures, mostly because he'd wanted Teddy to know that there had been a very good reason his parents had left him to fight. "I think they were hoping to roundup a lot of muggle-borns my age before the Hogwarts Express took off. I'm not going back, though. I know those Death Eaters will catch me if I do." He put on another sad expression and faked a shudder. "I don't want to think about those Death Eaters now, though. What's your name?"

She stared at him a long moment before answering. "Call me Tonks. It's probably best not to tell anyone your full name in a time like this, but that's what everyone calls me, so you're not missing much."

"Is that your last name?" Teddy said, as innocently as he could. He'd always loved hearing Ginny's impression of his mother snapping at people who called her Nymphadora.

A strange shadow fell over her face. "Used to be. I mean, it still is, pretty much, so for all intensive purposes, yeah."

Teddy stared at her. If their conversation about the Ministry hadn't added up, he would have wondered if he'd landed in the wrong time, because her words simply didn't make sense.

His mother frowned at him. He wouldn't get used to thinking those words: _his mother._ "Look, weird question, but have I met you before? Cause you're staring at me like I have a dungbomb on my face, and the last time I caught someone staring at me like that, it was cause they were a year or two ahead of me at Hogwarts."

Teddy's heart skipped a beat. "N-not that I know of," he stammered. "I was just, uh, admiring your hair. I mean, it's really pretty; I've never seen such a pink colour before."

She studied him closely. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she said finally. "Don't think about copying it, though; no matter how adventurous you are, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't look good with pink hair. Anyway, I'm a metamorphmagus. Turning your hair pink would be harder for you than it is for me."

He wanted to tell her that she was wrong. He wanted to scrunch his eyes together in order to concentrate and match his hair to her colour, in a way he hadn't since he was only a few weeks old. Still, Teddy knew he could not do any of these things. He couldn't tell her whom he was just yet, no matter how much he desperately wanted to.

Instead, he held out his wand. She frowned when he motioned for her to take it. "Look, we'll strike a deal, all right? I'll give you my wand, and you can keep it in exchange for me staying for a few days. I really need someplace to stay, and that way you'll know that I have no way to harm you. I know there's no way to be sure in times like this."

"How do I know you don't have another wand you're hiding from me?" Tonks said, not taking the wand.

Teddy looked straight into his mother's eyes. "Would you like me to do an Unbreakable Vow to prove it?"

Her eyes widened. Though even in his own time, Teddy knew the gravity of Unbreakable Vows, he guessed that in this time, tossing around the possibility of death was even direr.

"No, it's all right," she said. "Just the fact that you're willing to do one is enough, I guess."

His mother studied him for a long moment. Teddy squirmed, certain that everything he was hiding was visible on his face. But instead, she surprised him by taking his wand. She muttered a spell and pointed it at him. Teddy felt his hair turning warmer, in a similar way to whenever he morphed.

"All right," she said, stuffing his wand in her pocket and grinning for the first time. "Look into the pond. I told you that you wouldn't look good with my hair."

Teddy followed her suggestion. Through the murkiness of the water, he could just make out his newly turned bubblegum pink hair.

Teddy couldn't help it. He laughed. He might have looked cute with pink hair as a baby, but he looked right silly now. His mother took another look at him and began laughing, too.

"There," said Tonks, once they had regained their breaths. "In my experiences, Death Eaters never have much of a sense of humour. Next time you want to test whether someone's a Death Eater or not, try to see if you can make them laugh. I've always had luck whenever I tried to test them by screwing my nose into a pig's snout. Of course, there was the added cursing part after that, but at least it did the initial trick."

Teddy's smile grew. "So I pass the test?"

"I think so. I can't say whether you can stay for certain, as I'll have to talk to my parents about it, and I do plan to keep your wand just in case, but I'm no longer afraid you're going to curse me, no.

"Look, I'm awfully sorry about your parents and the scare those Death Eaters must have brought you," she added. She reached out to pat Teddy on the arm, and he felt immediate warmth running through him. "It's a right shame what this war has done to families. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that sooner, either. The former head of the Auror Department, he was my mentor, and…well, perhaps I did take his heeding for 'Constant Vigilance' better than I let on." She smiled again. "Though I can't say he ever approved of my plan for scoping out Death Eaters, either."

"It's all right," Teddy said, thinking back to everything he had heard about the war. "I think I can understand that. Better to be prepared, right?"

"Right," Tonks said. "Still, perhaps I've been too quick to let you off. After all, you still haven't asked me the most important question of all."

Teddy had heard enough about his mother to recognize the impish tone in her voice. "What? What your real name is?"

His mother made a face. "No, though with my luck, my mother will answer that question soon enough. No, the question I was expecting was whether or not I was going to return your hair back to the way it was before."

Teddy took another glance at her reflection in the pond, then gave her his biggest grin yet.

"Leave it," he said. "That way, you can drag me in and tell everyone you've caught a Death Eater with the same hair as you."

She laughed again, and her eyes began to twinkle. "All right. That sounds good. It's only supposed to last a few more minutes, so we'll have to hurry if we want it to work. I think we still have some breakfast left, as well."

She began leading him up the hill to their house, then turned to him halfway through. "You know, you're not so bad. For a fake Death Eater, that is."

Teddy smirked back. "You're not so bad, either. At least, for someone who won't even tell me her real name."

"Oh, get off of it," she said, rolling her eyes, but Teddy recognized her tone as good-natured. Wondering if he had ever felt so happy, Teddy followed his mother the rest of the way up to their house.


End file.
